


Arturia's Valentine

by akampana



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:29:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akampana/pseuds/akampana
Summary: On Chaldea's celebration of the day of love, Arturia Pendragon decides who it is that she wants to give her special chocolate to.Multiple-Choice Fic.
Relationships: Diarmuid ua Duibhne | Saber/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Gilgamesh | Archer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Gilgamesh | Caster/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Heroic Spirit EMIYA | Archer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Arturia's Valentine

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm making a Multiple Choice fic. At the end of this chapter, simply pick the man you want Arturia to gift her chocolate to. :) Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Although day and night were near synonymous in the fluorescent lit Chaldea, that it’s inhabitants kept to a proper day-night schedule was a curiosity. (When the sole Master wasn’t out and about risking her life, that is.) They, too, kept to the ordinary human calendar, if not to keep track of the days, then at least to keep one itty bit of normalcy alive amidst the chaos and pressure of their mission to save humanity. 

Christmas had passed, and so had New Year, each with an appropriate, joyous celebration. Though there were doubts, most of them amongst the staff, that the humans and Servants a like could take some time to be silly was a great necessity. Fujimaru Ritsuka, after all, had been and still was but an ordinary human girl, and heavy was the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Servants of all times and ages had begun to realize that fact, and so had joined in. They knew their joy brought happiness to their dear Master’s kind heart, and so did their best to participate. Pagans celebrated Christmas (which may have originated with them anyway), Nordic Heroes kissed at the stroke of midnight. Many of them hadn’t fully grasped the concept of the holidays, but they had the spirit, and perhaps that was all that really mattered.

It was February now. The jolly trimmings of December had finally been taken down. There was a new kind of buzz reverberating through the halls, one that excited Kiyohime and other romantic hopefuls as they made their respective ways down the corridor. It was the eve of the thirteenth, after all, the final few hours before the day of love began. The sweet smell of cocoa wafted through the air vents, frustrating those that tried to keep their confectionery a surprise, but also sending the male population into a nerve-wracking, hopeful frenzy. 

Will they receive sweets from the one that they fancy? For some single fellows, that remained to be seen, but in the very least, they could count on one of the thousands of obli-choco Master tried to conceal in her room. For others, that they’d receive chocolate was all but a certainty, and so gifts in return had been prepared as well. Still others hid as best as they could, dreading the arrival of tomorrow whether it involved cacao-based seeds or not. 

The Heroic Spirit EMIYA was none of the above. He’d long since prepared a Valentine's gift for Master, whether or not she’d grace him with sweets. For Ishtar, a chocolate treasure box, filled to the brim with differently flavored treats in colorful foil wrapping. For Eresh, white chocolate mini-skulls, each made with a custom Trace-on™ mold. Parvati, the modest goddess, would be getting traditional honmei-choco, elaborately decorated, of course. Illya’s was kept in the freezer, a cold combination of shaved ice, milk, and various sweet toppings. Even the oddball Jaguar Warrior could look forward to a gift: a striped bar of marbled chocolate that he hoped would rile up the human side of her. 

Perhaps it was a bit odd to have made chocolate when traditionally men were on the receiving end on Valentine’s Day. However, some part of him knew the girls would appreciate it. He’d even gone so far as to make one more gift, wrapped in silver foil and a blue ribbon, which he tucked away just in case. 

Anyone could say EMIYA was plenty prepared, and he knew it too. All there was left to do for the Counter-Guardian was to retire for the night. oHe'd almost closed his eyes, in fact, when he heard a soft knocking on his door.

"...Saber?" he asked tentatively, scanning the empty halls wondering what she might be doing here. 

She looked at him and then quickly away, her face coloring an adorable shade of pink.

“I would like to request your...assistance, if you haven’t anything else of importance to take care of tonight,” she stated formally. Only then did he finally notice it, the fragrant smell of cocoa that surrounded her and the flecks of the stuff on the back of her hands that she hadn’t yet washed away. “You are the only one I can ask, Archer.”

She looks up at him, determination shining amidst the slight bashfulness in her eyes. “Would you perhaps be willing to aid me. You would have a king’s gratitude.”

Who could possibly refuse that? 

When they got to the kitchen, EMIYA realized she had been busy. There was evidence of at least seventeen different batches of chocolate, each ending in a unique form of disaster, whether somehow blackened at the edges, cut into odd wedges, or simply unpalatable. Arturia had somehow managed to get chocolate on the ceiling of all places, which was far out of reach for the little king.

The tanned one clamped a hand over his mouth and coughed, stifling his laughter. God, even after being summoned in Chaldea, Arturia’s non-existent talent in cooking still stuck, apparently. She pouted at his reaction, knitting her eyebrows together as her face decided it wanted to be a tomato. 

“So,” he conversed, handing pre-measured ingredients to Arturia for her to mix. She could at least do manual work, if not the finer things. “What kind of chocolate did you want to make?”

Arturia brushed hair from her face with her elbow, in deep contemplation. “Something that wouldn’t be too far-fetched a gift from me. I believe he knows me well enough to understand I...lack certain talents.”

EMIYA quirked up an eyebrow. Arturia had gathered enough ingredients for him to infer she intended to gift Master with chocolate as well, but Ritsuka identified as female for the last few months and he knew Saber wouldn’t make that mistake. Meaning there was another whom she wanted to feel special this Valentine’s day.  
The “nameless” spirit lowered the flame and measured cacao butter before carefully putting it over the heat. Chocolate was a delicate dish, it required precise control over temperature else it would burn. Although part of him wanted to go ahead and ask her, he thought he might be pushing her boundaries. Arturia wasn’t the most open person after all. 

When the cocoa butter had melted, he instructed her to measure the cocoa powder, allowing for a little extra for a dark mix while he stirred vanilla into honey. It was a rather simplistic combination of ingredients, one which would yield a product that was bittersweet and dark. It had a mere four components after all, around a fifth of the total amount he’d used to make Ishtar’s assorted treasure box. The man then sampled a taste, satisfied in knowing it was alike to luxury sweets. No one would be able to tell it came from such an effortless recipe. 

Then, EMIYA pulled a cool marble slab out of thin air, proceeding to thinly spread the mix over its surface to temper it. He did this step on his own, repeatedly spreading the chocolate on the smooth surface and scooping up till it was ready to be placed into a mold. 

Arturia watched him silently all the while, curiously following the motions of his hands. She brought with her a cocoa-stained piece of paper with three drawings of her desired molds, which he was easily able to create for her. Two were...unique to say the least. Most Servants had gone with circles, blocks or traditional hearts, but EMIYA held his tongue as he let the short king pour the chocolate in. She must have really thought this through.

She had two sets of wrapping with her. Several of the pre-made Chaldea gift wrap Da Vinci was handing out, and a single box all in blue. Arturia wasn’t the best at cooking, but the blue craft paper and wrapping she brought with her were cut with so much precision it was insane. He could tell she’d made the box by hand, for it was far different from the red and gold that was sold in the Italian genius’s shop. 

She started with what was obviously obli-choco, one set for each of the knights (including Mash, of course.). Then there was the elaborate crown she’d made for Master, which she sealed with utmost care. Last, was her special set of chocolate, the only one she made using the third mold. This one, she sealed with a silver ribbon, arranged into an elaborate bow.

Arturia smiled as she finished, a smile so sweet and pure that even the jaded EMIYA felt his heart stutter. It must have been a remainder of the memories of that young, foolish lad who once believed he could be a hero of justice. Whoever was lucky enough to have earned the King of Knights affections ought to know how privileged they were. 

Arturia thanked him profusely, promising to pay back the favor. As she grinned up at him, EMIYA finally gave in to his curiosity. So, he asked.

"Who do you want to give it to?"

“I'd like to give them to...”

"I'd like to give them to Diarmuid."  
"I'd like to give them to Gilgamesh."  
"I'd like to give them to Caster Gilgamesh."  
"You, EMIYA."  


"I'd like to give them to Diarmuid."

“Diarmuid?” Arturia called out, satisfied to hear the low baritone of his response beckoning her forward. The king crossed the grassy field to meet him, her hurried pace conveying the excitement her pride wouldn’t let her show. She had to Rayshift to Ireland to find him, in a “super-ultra-mega-secret” location, according to Da Vinci, so hearing his voice did calm her heart. 

Upon her arrival, the hand she hadn’t hidden behind her back was swept up into his kiss, as was his regular greeting. He chuckled at the blush he brought to her face, teasing his favorite sparring partner for being too easy to charm. 

He was kidding, of course. They both knew his curse never affected her. If their hearts were closer at all, such could be attributed to Diarmuid’s tenacious, admittedly flirtatious, persistence. Of course, unlike some other potential suitors who had been similarly taken by her beauty, he had the advantage of retaining his memories of her, even now that he had been summoned into a different class. 

“So what shall it be today, my dearest King of Knights?” he asked joyously, the braid on the side of his head bouncing in time to his enthusiasm. “Shall I duel you with both my swords or just one? If I recall correctly, the last time we sparred, I had the advantage. Isn’t that right? How about a wrestling match?”

Arturia let out a small laugh and shook her head. Always excited to cross blades, this one. “A spar sounds lovely, Diar, but would you allow me a moment?”

He nods, surprised as she sits in front of his half-kneeling self. From behind her, she produces a sky-colored box wrapped in shiny silver ribbon. Immediately Diarmuid’s smile softens, his brows knit, and a warmth spread forth from his chest. He couldn’t believe it.

Rather bashfully, she grants him permission to open it when he asks. Carefully, he removes the ribbon, stashing it in a secret pocket to keep forever, then he lifts the box’s lid, revealing the sweet candies within. Two different chocolate roses, one of which lighter than the other, indicating a milkier blend. He couldn’t stop the smile from splitting his face, knowing exactly what had inspired the twin treats. 

Diarmuid prayed to his foster father, saying he’d found the one. He took the darker rose in his fingers, paused to admire the detailed petals, then placed it in his mouth, savoring the flavor as it melted. The nervous Arturia finally relaxed as his lips quirked upward.

The dual-wielder then re-sealed the box, intending to keep the second rose for later and got up, strengthening his resolve. He pulled her up into a hug, whispering his thanks as he pressed his lips to her cheek. 

“Close your eyes. I want to show you something,” he asked, tucking his favorite person under his chin. This was it. It was time. He felt her nod as she did as told and Diarmuid sent another prayer to the heavens, this time to Donn. 

Around them the wind rose, bringing with it low clouds that swallowed both knights whole. Back in the command room, poor Da Vinci watched both of Master’s favorite Sabers disappear off the map, leaving no trace. Although it worried her, she trusted the promise Diarmuid had made before she approved his little trip, wishing the man luck with his endeavor. 

“Although your tales say you were taken to Avalon after your death, that you made it to Chaldea tells me you never reached its sweet shores.”

A thousand colors filled her vision as Arturia’s eyes fluttered open. It was as if the field they had been earlier standing in had suddenly decided to sprout flowers from every inch of soil there was. There were blooms she hadn’t even seen before, all kinds of plants that looked to be the stuff of fairy tales. All of a sudden, his words hit her, and she knew she was in the domain of the fae, in the island said to be her final resting place.

“H-how?” she stuttered, disbelieving. When her Spirit was collected to serve as a Servant, she thought she would never have passage here. 

Diarmuid smiled down at her. “My father has always held the Gates of the Otherworld open for me,” he explained, cupping her cheeks with his palm. “And now you.”

“Arturia.” He spoke her name softly, his hands running down her arms till they tangled themselves with hers. He squeezed her fingers gently as their gazes locked, wondering how he’d managed to gain her affection. How could he have been lucky enough that she truly loved him back? 

Although he’d asked about a spar earlier, of course he knew what day it was today. A day of love, which he’d chosen to escape, for he had not much luck with it. That was why he’d asked Da Vinci to send him here to his homeland. No one would find him if they weren’t purposely searching. And he’d hoped... he really did hope that Arturia loved him enough after all those months, but that she was actually here, conveying her feelings with chocolate, seemed like a dream. 

“I decided...that in the infinitely small chance that it was I whom you choose, that I would not let our reunion go to waste,” Diarmuid confessed, touching their foreheads. This was it. The moment of truth.

“I love you, Arturia. I have, since the fateful day we met. I never forgot...I could never forget you. Not in death, not in this half-life.”

He wrapped his arms around his most precious person, breathing in her scent so he could make sure she was really here. “I know our fight is not over. Not for a long while yet, but when it does end…”

Diarmuid pulled away slightly, tilting her chin upward with his fingers. He needed to look her in the eye for this one. “If you would spend eternity with this unworthy knight, it shall be his greatest joy.”

His heart fluttered anxiously as he finished his proposal. Eternity was a long while after all, he would understand if the King of Knights didn’t— Arturia tiptoed to reach his lips, pressing all the love that she had into one, lasting kiss.

“I would like nothing more.”

Give chocolates to another

"I'd like to give them to Gilgamesh."

Arturia lamented the fact that conversations with Gilgamesh, no matter the occasion, always involved some kind of bickering. Even giving him chocolate was hard enough, as he’d questioned its quality right off the bat and rightfully ticked her off. 

She didn’t even know why she bothered with this, and why, of the people in Chaldea, she thought giving Gilgamesh her one true honmei choco was a great idea. Of course, she knew the reason. It was just difficult to accept.

“If it isn’t to your tastes, then I rescind my gift—” 

The blue box was snatched out of her hands just as she began to turn away. “Why shan’t I accept a gift prepared by my wife?”

Arturia sighed, long and hard. Of all the people in Chaldea she could love, why did it have to be this gaudy asshole? 

“Gilgamesh, I am not your—” she breathed out, long and hard, and gave it a rest for today.She could let him have the win. It was Valentine’s Day, after all, a day when one’s affections could be freely expressed. And while it had only been recently that she’d realized her feelings, she felt it appropriate that she at least try to convey that his love was returned.

The King of Heroes opened up the box to find seven similar pieces of chocolate, molded into a familiar oblate shape. It was clear what she’d made them to look like: the beads of his favorite necklace. Interesting. He didn’t think Arturia ever paid that much attention to what he chose to wear on their off-days. 

Curiously, he picked up one of them and placed it on his tongue, surprised to find how easily it had melted. 

“The taste is exquisite,” he commented honestly. His queen had done well for one who managed to set boiling water on fire during their last mission. Of course, he wasn’t about to admit just how happy she was making him, else he’d lose the ability to tease her. 

“However, the container does leave something to be desired.”

Arturia’s relieved expression immediately morphed into that of irritation. “Is there nothing that can satisfy you at all, King of Heroes?”

The nerve of this man, honestly. Only he would veer criticize a lovingly-given gift. Most people knew to just take what they’d received, express their gratitude, and be off.

“Now don’t be hasty,” Gilgamesh tutted, stepping forward into her personal space as his habit. “To remedy it is simple. All this gift needs is the proper wrapping.”

“What do you m—”

Gilgamesh pushed some chocolate into her mouth and kissed her, chasing the small piece of chocolate with his tongue. Arturia stood there, completely shocked, till he eventually pulled away victoriously with the candy between his teeth. 

Her hands immediately moved to cover her lips as Robin whistled from where he leaned on his door jamb. A quick look around told her that the previously empty corridor was now filled to bursting with Servants, each of them blushing a different shade of red. They had, after all, just witnessed the most passionate kiss they had ever seen. 

While Arturia’s conservative heart leaped into panic, Gilgamesh’s cocky laugh resounded through the hall. There was no way in hell any Chaldean would dare approach his queen. Not after seeing something like that. 

The king pulled his wife flush against his figure, dipping down to whisper by her ear. “Present them to me this way tonight, and it shall be a valued gift that satisfies me completely. Enough that I consider our exchange more than equal.”

With that, he took off toward his room to prepare it for her later arrival. 

Exchange? More than equal? Arturia debated internally, returning to her quarters to retrieve a fancy dress she never thought she’d get to use. She didn’t even know why she bothered. If he wasn’t satisfied initially, why did she have to work to get his approval? Besides, as far as she remembered, he hadn’t yet given anything back. 

Oh.

When she turned to the mirror, draping the black lace over her chest, she finally understood. 

A heavy bracelet now hung from her wrist, but it wasn’t just any bracelet. It was the one that matched the very necklace she’d themed her gift around. 

Impossible. This was part of his favorite set of accessories. In fact, no one had ever seen the Archer sport anything else. If that selfish king was willing to part with it, well…

Maybe he’d appreciated her gift after all.

Give chocolates to another

"I'd like to give them to Caster Gilgamesh."

It takes a few minutes at his door before Arturia musters the courage to knock. After all, she couldn’t be too sure about whether or not this was a good idea. This room belonged to one of the same name, but not quite the exact same spirit. The latter had yet to ever come to Chaldea, and strangely, Arturia couldn’t wait till the next year. 

To be honest, she didn’t know the blonde that well. He looked older, if not by much in his physique, then in his eyes. Though his words were occasionally biting, it was much easier to tell that he hardly ever meant his insults. He was...gentler. 

They were fielded together more than enough times to count, and so he’d assisted her more than enough times to count. Master was fond of speaking with him, and Arturia herself would always listen. She had been cautious, of course but who could blame her?

The Gilgamesh she’d met had been far different.

Arturia enters his room. Despite the holiday, he had found some work to do, and so he didn't even look up. 

“Greetings, King of Knights,” he declares, still focused on that which he was fashioning at his desk.

Arturia musters up her courage as she comes up behind him. “Are you preoccupied at this moment, wise king?” she asks.

“Quite.”

Arturia nods and places her gift next to his elbow. Perhaps it was better this way. It saved her the embarrassment of her confession and he could take the chocolates as a thank you gift instead. As she turns to leave, she feels a slight tugging on her sleeve. Caster stands up from his desk to face her, a fondness in his eyes for his secret favorite.

“Hurry not, I jest,” he said, leaning on the wooden table. “How could I not spare a moment for one such as you?”

Arturia hoped the blush that bloomed on her cheeks wasn’t painfully obvious. She picked up her little present and placed it in his hands, surprising him.

“Why have you given me this gift?”

Arturia could tell he didn’t mean the holiday. She bit her lip. It seemed she’d have to stay and elaborate after all. “I have met you before. A different you. One as fearsome as you are powerful.”

She doesn’t notice, but Caster flinched, ever so slightly, and his lips tightened into a thin line. He’s grateful she chose to avert her eyes from his, for he was unable to hide his discomfort. 

“He thought of me as his queen. I thought him delusional,” Arturia said, honestly, remembering her Holy Grail War. “For how could I be her when I was a king of my own right?”

Arturia fiddled with her fingers as her green eyes focused on her gift. “I dismissed him and his feelings. Only recently, after sharing my experience with Master did the thought occur that...that Gilgamesh may have actually loved me.”

In his own twisted way. Arturia finished in her mind. Yes, she had talked this over with Master, back when the latter had tried to find out all she could about the Holy Grail Wars. It...affected Arturia to a great degree, because in her mind there was only one man who did love her, though she’d accepted that love would never be realized. To find out that there may have been another, who loved her for far longer, was jarring.  
“I give you this, in place of him, shall we never meet again,” Arturia finished, knowing that the chances of ever having the Archer version of him in Chaldea were slim. Slimmer even, was the chance that he even recalled who she was. 

“What made you believe so?” Caster asks, pulling on the silver ribbon to open what she’d given. Inside was an obvious chocolate replica of the beads of his favorite accessory, complete with a gold tinfoil wrapping. It was obvious how much thought she put into her gift, if she’d made something so personal. How could she have possibly felt this much care, when all she’d met was his most dreadful side?

Arturia breathed in deeply. “Right at the very end, he told me”

“Some things are beautiful for the very reason that they are unattainable.”

Arturia is forced to look up at Caster, for the exact words had left their lips at the same time. 

“I—how—” she stuttered. That couldn’t...that didn’t make sense. She’d never met this Gilgamesh outside of Chaldea. Even if they were technically the same Heroic Spirit, that was too much of a coincidence. 

Gilgamesh saw her confusion and set her lovely gift aside. Truthfully, he’d given up on anything ever happening between himself and the King of Knights, especially since she’d been so guarded. It seemed fate had other plans. Now that his secret was out in the open, he ought to explain. 

“I foresaw our meeting eons before you came into being, for in my loneliness I had desired a queen,” he said, recalling the very day his clairvoyance granted him the vision of her face. It had been long after Enkidu had come and gone, when Uruk was at its most prosperous. Gilgamesh felt his mortality more than ever. As he looked over his city all alone, he began to realize that he had no one to share such a beautiful sight with. Never had he taken a wife, and though his concubines sired sons, they weren’t exactly princes. He hadn’t a queen, after all. 

“The Gilgamesh you met had been impatient and rash. Centuries loving a vision, only to find that the blonde he so fancied would not come so easily,” he elaborated. Tentatively, he offered her his hand, seeing if all the time they’d spent on the field together would have fostered some trust. 

He was pleased when she took it, evidenced by the uneven smile on his face. Gilgamesh led her in front of his mirror, and had her watch her own reflection while he retrieved what had him so preoccupied at his desk. 

“If I were younger, it would have been a gold piece I’d bestow upon you, to match that which I wear,” he said, standing behind her.

A thin silver chain comes into her vision, one with a tiny pendant hung from its middle. Gilgamesh drapes the necklace over her collarbones and does the clasp, pleased as she marvels at his creation. Within the circular silver pendant is an arrangement of emeralds, each one, she recognized, matched the color of her eyes. 

“You have always shone brighter in silver,” he whispered, as he placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for your gift.”

Give chocolates to another

"I'd like to give them to you, EMIYA."

Arturia’s whole mood shifted, the lilt in her smile suddenly feeling nostalgic. Shyly, she steps into his space, holding out the small blue box in both her hands.

“You.”

The nameless spirit nearly drops the saucepan he was holding. He...didn’t understand. EMIYA had kept his memories when he was summoned. Of course he remembered who Saber was, both as an enemy Servant and as his own Servant. She was far too important a part of his to completely forget. However, he didn’t ever recall revealing that he had been her Master. 

Arturia’s smile faltered but didn’t disappear. She broke their eye contact, gaze travelling down to EMIYA’s hands. 

“I know who you are. I have always known, I suppose,” she confirmed, visions of the young redhead she fell in love with reappearing in her mind. When she blinked, she could relive a moment just like this, where they were both preparing food in the kitchen. He was much shorter back then, and much less serious, but somehow Archer still managed to evoke in her the same domestic feeling. 

“I know, too, that it has been long since you’ve abandoned your name,” she mumbled sadly, facing him once more. “That perhaps, that whom I love is but a distant memory. And I accept it—”

“Saber—”

“—But will you allow me one more favor, Archer? One selfish wish of mine?” she asked, her voice pleading. Her tone diminishes with each word, every syllable dripping with a solemn fondness. 

EMIYA is no longer sure what drove him to say yes. Was it the spirit of the redhead that still lived within him? Was it his own desire? Was it, perhaps, just the presence of the blonde woman before him, which till now gave him naught but a sense of peace?

Arturia circled her fingers around his collar and pulled him down to her height, closing the remaining distance between them by standing on her toes. 

“I love you, Shirou,” she whispered gently, as she left their kiss. Her sweet breath tickled his cheeks as she pulled away, pressing the blue present box into Archer’s hand. 

Arturia slipped out of his space, moving to collect the chocolate they’d made. The way she spoke had a sense of finality to it, as if whatever had transpired in this kitchen could never happen again. Somehow, that just didn’t sit right with the Counter Guardian. 

EMIYA caught her wrist before she could move too far, pulling her back into his space to dip down for a second taste. 

As she responded in turn, the white-haired one wondered how long it had been since the day his heart beat for another. The little he could remember of his mortal life was dedicated to his stubborn mission. But, he concluded, as he felt his pulse quicken in time with Saber’s, perhaps it was a bit poetic.

Even years upon years after the fateful day of their meeting, his heart had only ever loved her.

Give chocolates to another


End file.
